The present invention relates to systems that provide multimedia entertainment at hotels and other temporary lodging facilities. In particular, the present invention is a method and system for providing users direct access to content and services available on an entertainment system.
The past two decades have seen the wide scale introduction of entertainment systems in hotels and other lodging facilities. These systems provide a variety of services to the user through a television. The services typically include regular off-air television programs, pay-per-view movies, video games, Internet access, and services such as video shopping and video checkout.
A typical entertainment system contains ahead end, a distribution system, and user terminals located in each of the guest rooms. The head end includes devices to generate entertainment content such as movies and video games, as well as devices to provide Internet access and generate interactive menus and other services. The head end also includes modulators necessary to place the television signals from the various sources onto the appropriate channels for transmission through the distribution system to the user terminals. Alternatively, content may be provided to the user terminals using digital distribution methods. A host computer coordinates operation of the entertainment system by receiving keystroke information from the user terminals and controlling operations of various sources of television signals so that the user receives the entertainment or services which he or she has requested.
There is a continuing need for new and improved offerings which will result in higher purchase rates through the entertainment system. At the same time, any additional products/services which also require significant increases in capital investment in the entertainment systems are difficult to justify. For example, if a new service will require additional capital equipment to be installed in every guest room, or will require the addition of expensive hardware or software at the head end, the total cost of the additional hardware and software must be weighed against the increase in purchases which can be expected from the additional capital investment.
In conventional entertainment systems, if the user decides to purchase content or services on the entertainment system, the guest must navigate through various interactive menus until the desired content or service is located. The user then selects the desired content or service, and the host computer activates the requested service. The present invention allows a user to immediately purchase content or services available on the entertainment system without having to navigate through a series of interactive menus.